The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for generating a token, such as a product coupon or ticket, at a television viewer's site in response to a request by the television viewer.
Businesses may offer consumers coupons. Coupons are typically printed on paper and made available to consumers in various ways, including placing them in product containers and printing them in newspapers and magazines. In addition, devices coupled to cash registers or point-of-sale terminals are known that automatically print coupons when a shopper makes a purchase. A consumer may redeem a coupon at an establishment to obtain a cash discount for goods or services purchased there. If the establishment is a retailer of manufactured goods, the retailer, in turn, redeems the coupons by sending them to the manufacturer, who then reimburses the retailer for the amount of the discount. A retailer may utilize a redemption agency as a liaison between it and the manufacturer. A redemption agency sorts and tallies the coupons, validates the coupons as a safeguard against fraud and misredemption, determines the charges to the manufacturer, and compiles statistical information that may be useful to the manufacturer. Coupons, once redeemed, are destroyed to prevent re-use.
Manufacturers and other businesses have long advertised their products and services to consumers using the medium of television. Television commercials may be transmitted over cable networks and broadcast over the air. Coupons may be available for the advertised products and services.
A method for distributing coupons using signals transmitted via television channels is described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,249,044 and 5,128,752, both issued to Von Kohorn. The Von Kohorn system transmits a video image of product information, such as the manufacturer's name, the amount of the discount, and an identification number. The product information is displayed on a consumer's television. The consumer views this information on the television and then manually enters it into a hand-held electronic device using a keypad. The device has a printer that can be activated to print a coupon having some or all of the entered product information on it.
Coupons are valuable because they can be exchanged for cash, and fraud and misredemption are costly to manufacturers and retailers. Above all other considerations, a coupon distribution system should prevent duplication of a coupon. The Von Kohorn system, however, allows a user to print multiple copies of a coupon by entering the same product information multiple times. Another feature of the Von Kohorn system allows the electronic device to record the coupon transmission while the consumer is away from the television. Not only does recording a coupon encourage unlimited duplication, but it also fails to encourage the consumer to watch the televised commercial.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,404, issued to Bullock et al., describes a system that transmits two signals, each on a separate channel. The first signal carries coupon data, which are encoded along with a unique identifier into packets. The second signal carries an encoded "cue" signal. The coupon data are transmitted sequentially or periodically using a broadcast wheel. At the receiving end, the system receives the first signal and stores the decoded coupon data in memory. When the system receives the cue signal, it determines whether data having a matching identifier have been stored. If so, the system provides an indication to the user. The system may then retrieve the stored data and print a coupon.
The Bullock et al. system may inhibit fraud by preventing a user from printing coupons other than during the period in which the cue signal is transmitted. Nevertheless, monitoring and controlling the operation of the broadcast wheel inconveniences the broadcaster.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,278, issued to Holman, describes a system that encodes coupon data into the closed-captioning space of a standard television signal. At the receiving end, the system decodes the coupon data during display of the associated picture information. In contrast to the Bullock et al. system, encoding the television signal in this manner provides transparent operation from the broadcaster's point of view. Nevertheless, the system inextricably ties the coupon data to the source video. A new videotaped advertisement must be produced if the manufacturer wishes to change the terms of the coupon offer or withdraw the offer altogether. Furthermore, different videotapes must be produced if the manufacturer wishes to offer different coupons in different geographic regions in which the advertisement is to be televised, or to offer coupons in certain geographic regions and not in others.
It would be desirable to provide a system that distributes product coupons to consumers' sites using signals transmitted via television channels, while safeguarding against fraud and misredemption and while encouraging the consumers to watch the televised advertisements for the products. It would further be desirable in such a system to provide local control over the content of the coupon data at each regional broadcaster's site, yet without inconveniencing the broadcaster. These problems and deficiencies are clearly felt in the art and are solved by the present invention in the manner described below.